02x03 - Fiat 500: The Italian Job

[bunniefuu]

I'm Ant Anstead.

And when it comes to cars
I can fix almost anything...

Ah ha, there she goes!

When it comes to houses...

Woo-hoo!
...not so much.

I'm supercharging my mission...

[HORN BLARES]
Oh, my god.

...fixing up and flipping
eight more classic motors.

[LAUGHS] You look
like Laurel and Hardy, you two.

Because the 500-year-old farmhouse

I bought for my parents
to retire in,

is a crumbling money pit.

I would brace yourself,
because it ain't going to be cheap.

But I won't be defeated.

Yeah, it's beautiful isn't it?

I want Mum and Dad moved in
before summer ends.

We'll call it glamping, shall we?
Right. That's the spirit.

And with the help of family...

[LAUGHS]
I did it!

...and my petrol-head pal, Duncan.

- Yeah!
- Yay.
Come on then, let's go.

I'm determined
to turn cars into cash

even... Ah!
...if it kills me.

Whoa! Woo-hoo!

SUE: What are you two talking about?

We're talking about the grand plan.
Okay.

Bedroom. Bedroom.
Panel room. Living room.

The panel room's very,
very close to being finished.

We just need
to complete the ceiling.

Which I think we can do
in pretty quick time.

What about bathroom and kitchen?

If we make a temporary kitchen
in the panel room

and get a functional bathroom...
I mean what do you really need?

I suppose I could learn
how to use an air fryer.

We'll call it glamping, shall we?

Right that's the spirit,
we're gonna go full...

Okay, okay... farmhouse glamp mode.
We'll work it out.

So the biggest vision
is for this room. The living room.

We've managed to plaster the walls,
we've restored the beams,

exposed them,
we've done brand new electrics.

I'm also gonna stretch
and put underfloor heating in.

So you'll be able to have
this really nice cozy space.

You wait. You are
gonna be blown away. Trust me.

Tea time?
Yeah, cup of tea. Put the kettle on.

Putting that under floor
heating in won't come cheap.

So, I'm off to Dorset
to see a tiny car

that I hope could make a big profit.

This is the car
that I really want to get.
And the reason I wanna get this

is because it's an authentic
Italian import.

This is a 1970 Fiat 500.

Is there anything more
quintessentially Italian

than a classic Fiat 500?
I think not.

There's something
really captivating about it.

You see that car
and it just makes you smile.

It makes you think about driving

to get a cappuccino
in a piazza in Rome.

In post-w*r Italy, owning a car
was only for the wealthy.

But that all changed in 1957

with the launch of the Fiat 500,
or Cinquecento,

the first Italian car
for the masses.

A decade later, there were over
twenty times more cars on the road,

and nearly 70% of them were Fiats.

This is an "L" for luxury

which means it has
a few extra refinements,

which in translation means
it's worth more.

Now they're asking £7,500,

and a good "L" Fiat 500
of this age and this condition...

I mean potentially,
I'm going into five figures.

It could be 10k upwards.

It seems almost too good to be true.

If this car's in decent nick,

this could be
a pretty quick purchase.

WOMAN: Nonna!
VINCENZA: Yes!

Selling the car
is ninety-one year old Vincenzina,

also known as Nonna,

daughter Donna
and granddaughter Morgan.

Donna, Nonna, Morgan.

Hello.
Nice to see you.

You're not 91.
I am!

They think I'm 65.

Everybody think, even the doctors,
they look at my body and say,

come on, look at this.
And they bring everybody
to look at my body.

Are you really 91? You're not 91.

Okay, so whose car is it though?

- It's a family car.
- Okay.
But it was in Nonna's name.

We bought it in the south of Italy.

And you have to have
Italian name. So it was me.

Right, well, can we see it?
Yes.

Are you ready?
Ah, yeah!

Right come on then.

Ready?

[CHUCKLES] It's so little.

I know. It's tiny, isn't it?
Isn't it beautiful?

Oh, man.

Before Nonna shipped the Fiat
over from Italy last year,

it had just one owner from new,

all the way back in 1970.

Oh, it's got a sunroof!
Yes.

- Pretty.
- She is pretty.
She is lovely.

Why are you selling it?
We brought it over from Italy.

Thought everything was fine.
We had it checked over,

but when we got it back,
we sent it to a Fiat dealer here,

who checked it all out. And there
was a list about as long as... Yeah.

- It went on forever.
- So you're
gonna move this on... Yeah.

...to somebody that's going
- to do the work?
- Yes. Yeah.

Can I push it out? I should be able
to push it on my own, but I wanna...

Will you push it with me, Nonna?
- You gonna help push him out?
- Yeah.

Oh look, she's so pretty isn't she?

She's even better in the sunlight.
She's so pretty, look.

Ah! Look at this!

Isn't that beautiful?
She's gorgeous.

If I could have 10, 15 minutes
just looking at the car on my own.

Yeah, grazie, grazie!
- Ciao ciao e grazie!
- Ci vediamo.

That's my best Italian.

I mean she looks really good,
really straight.

The panels are amazing.
I love the colour.

Now this is remarkably solid.

There is no evidence of rust.

Yeah, it's got these rather
curved and attractive bumpers

because it's an "L".

"L" for luxury.

Yeah, it's had some repair panels
up front.

Yeah, it's got an oil leak here.

Right, does it start?

Oh no, it's dead.

Buying a car that won't start
is always a gamble,

but I'm not going in totally blind.

Oh, this is the list.

Oh, wheel bearings, drive coupling,
gearbox mount, handbrake cable,

heater vent, gearbox gasket,
column loose.

It is loose...

and the engine overheats.

All right well
that's a pretty lengthy list.

None of that is expensive.

I found the list,
- and it's quite lengthy.
- Mmm.

And I can see why you're scared
of continuing this car

because on the face of it,
- it's an incredibly long list.
- Yeah.

But this is a great candidate
for restoration.

So it was advertised
for seven and a half grand.

How much are you gonna take for it?

I think I'll take £6,500 because
you're a very charming young man.

Oh, the charm
has won me a grand off!

I'm not even gonna haggle.
Do we have a deal?

Oh no, I'm giving you a hug.

Oh, God. He likes a hug.

So that's it! And I've inherited a
new Italian Nonna. It's a great day!

You're very lucky, I tell you.
Very lucky man.

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

Well, first of all,
I am now the proud new owner

of a classic 1970 Fiat 500 L.

Obviously the elephant in the room
is the mechanics' list.

That's a big list and that
can escalate quite quickly.

But...

You know, I'm gonna hopefully spend
the majority of this restoration,

smiling and drinking cappuccino.

Well, while Duncan does
all the hard work.

Oh, so toy cars now?

This is not a toy car.
This is actually an Italian icon.

How old is it?
This is a 1970 Fiat 500 Lusso,

which basically means luxury.

How long has it been sat for?

Yeah, it's been sat a minute.
[LAUGHS]

- You pushed it in here?
- I've had
lunches heavier than this car.

This is a...
This is just over half a ton.

In fact, grab that front wing.
Check this out.

You sure?
Yeah, yeah. Just bend at the hips.

Where's the engine?
Engine's at the back.

So the 500, is that 500cc?

Yeah, no. Well,
it's just under, 499cc.

Yeah, but it's a tiny little
sewing machine engine.

But power to weight
is still pretty good.

So how fast does it go?
It's not that fast. [LAUGHS]

Because it's a tiny city car.
It was never a performance vehicle.

This was supposed to get
a nation driving and it did.

Right so, body work...
I mean it looks amazing.

I'm gonna give you a...
Oh yeah!..for that,

because that is clean.

You bought a car
that didn't need anything doing.

I know. It looks great.
On the face of it.

But the list of works
this car needs is extensive.

For example, there are various
oil leaks within the car

and the engine doesn't run.
And also the car overheats.

I'm hoping that it's not gonna

turn into this huge
escalating issue of problems.

- Yo!
- Michael.
What do you think?

Why are we doing go carts?
No, come on. This is an icon.

It's a rollerskate for you.
Yeah.

I mean it's nice but -
It's nice right?

Get in. Actually get Michael in.
It's a family car.

Well a pretty small family.

But it's supposed to have space
for four adults.

Yeah, Italian!

Oh, dear.
See, look at that.

Go on, Dad, in you get!
You are joking.

Yeah, look. This thing is...

We've gotta wobble
in the same rhythm.

You'll break it. Steady on.

All right, if the suspension
wasn't broken, it's broken now.

So, in the main...

does everybody like the Fiat 500?
I think it's funny.

What do you mean, funny?
It's a great restoration.

It's a very nice car.
It's in good condition.

But what sort of money
did you pay for it?

We paid six and a half grand.

- Okay.
- I think that's good.
We've got an opportunity

to be in the top end
of the Fiat 500 market,

you know,
that is potentially five figures.

So if we can buy the parts
for under a grand,

there's 25% profit.

Blimey.
- Okay.
- Right?

You know the other good thing is,

you don't even need
a full-size garage to keep it,

you could put this
under your stairs.

Speaking of the house,

the underfloor heating's
going into the living room.

What's mad is Andy is
actually the neighbour here,

and his dad lived in this farmhouse.

He was born in here.
Your dad was born here?

Yeah.
Oh, my God.

I think, actually,
he had that room above here.

There's no ghosts here, is there?

Possibly. [LAUGHS]

I'll let you know if there is.
- Cheers, Andy.
- All right, mate.

My Fiat 500
is as dead as a doornail,

and leaking all over the shop.

So she needs a proper investigation.

We can just take the engine
out on the jack.

Okay? Just stabilise it.
Yeah.

Slowly, slowly.

That should come out.

Wow.

One look at the starter motor,
and I know why she's not firing up.

See, this little lever here
joins to that cable in the c*ck.

That first movement
engages the Bendix up here

and the second movement
ignites the electricity

because that's the power cord.
This is live the whole time,

one... [NOISE]..and that kicks
the engine over.

But there is definitely
a rubber boot missing

that should go over this.

That missing rubber boot
means there's poor contact
to the starter motor.

That's the bit we needed to engage.

We need a new switch
- for the starter motor.
- Yeah.

Hopefully not going to be
tricky to get.

Next, the oil leaks,

and I'm starting with the biggest
leak, at the rear of the car.

Do you reckon you hold that
- on your own?
- Yeah.

You reckon?
Yeah.

Good, I'll just do some stretches.
[EXHALES]

It's getting heavy now.
Hang on, I'll get the trolley.

You're doing really good.
Always do it.

Well the clutch looks dry.
Flywheel looks dry.

If it's not the engine,
it's probably th

Oh, yeah, you can see the drip
of oil on the floor already.

Looks like our culprit.

The front casing,
known as the nose cone,

houses the input shaft and seals.

You know what,
inside that nose cone,

there's a little seal.
I bet you that's the seal

that's allowing oil to escape.

Go on. Oh.

And there's our O ring.
Has it got a nip out of it?

Just get a new one of them
with a new bearing,

and that's going
to stop the oil leak.

I should think these
are gonna come complete,

you know, rather than just a seal.

I bet it comes as a whole unit.

Fingers crossed there aren't
too many replacements needed

because all these little buys, chip
away at the profit for the house.

All right. Do you wanna order
the parts or you want me to?

Well, that silence means me.

My first Fiat 500 parts
order is on the way,

and while I wait,
my brother Michael and I

are totting up the costs
for the living room.

Erm, so the lead for the bay window,

er, comes to £114.91.

- Just for the lead?
- Yeah.
- Like a handful of lead?
- Yeah.

We have to slow down spending.
[CHUCKLES]

Installing underfloor heating will
ultimately save on energy bills,

but putting the pipes in alone
is costing 220 quid,

never mind the rest of it.

Plus we'll need to get some
screed in before we can even
think about the flooring.

What were the quotes
for the screeding of the floor?

Two thousand pounds.
Two grand?

To screed the floor downstairs?
Yeah.

Just screed the floor?
Yeah.

In what? Unicorn dust?

See, I'm tracking
every single penny that we spend.

And if we stay on this trajectory,

we're not getting
the house finished.

Not because we're not doing the work
because we're running out of money.

We can't spend two grand
on the screed.

It's just sand and concrete, right?
And water.

Yeah, I think there's a bit of skill
involved to make sure it's flat.

It's not something we can
slop it down and -

What are you trying to say?
We're skilled, we're skilled.

I mean materials,
they're going to be around 250 quid.

If we can get someone
to help us with the screed.

I've never screeded.
Have you screeded before?

I haven't done anything
in this house before.

So that'll be new for you as well.
Okay, well, let's just screed.

Let's do it ourselves.

Well, with that all sorted, it's
back to fixing that gearbox leak.

This new nose cone was 25 quid,
and it's a sealed unit.

It has the outer rubber seal
that keeps the oil

inside the casing,
an inner rubber seal...

That keeps the oil from
escaping around the shaft,

and it fits in with a single bolt.

So I'm just going to
give this a little tap.

That is it. 25 quid fix.

Our gearbox is now leak free,

and I can turn my attention
to the engine.

I know from the mechanic's list
that it overheats.

If I don't sort it, it could end up

with a blown head gasket
and a worn out engine.

Now, the engineering is brilliant.

This is a genius piece of design.
Because where most cars
were liquid-cooled,

they had a radiator with coolant
to cool the engine down.

This car was air-cooled,
it relied on the flow of air
to keep the engine cold.

And it's pretty simple, actually.
This pulls in

cold air from the environment

via a fan that's inside
this housing here.

That fan then blows cold air
over the hot engine,

then it comes to this side where

the hot air is expelled
via an exit pipe.

And there's something going on here,
there's a hole in the top.

So I think first off,
remove the hot side air box...

and see what's going on.

First, I need to shift
the distributor out of the way.

This has to be
one of the smallest

distributors I've ever seen.

And off comes the metal cowling.

I can see what
the obvious problem is.

There should be a thermostat
that fits between this hole

and the hole on that movable flap.

So when the engine's cold,
the flap is closed,

the air is exiting
via the single exit.

The thermostat indicates
when the engine gets hot enough,

the flap opens,
now the air has an ability

to pass via a much wider exit.

No wonder this car overheated.
It hasn't got a thermostat.

That flap is always
in the closed position

containing the hot air
inside this air box.

And all that hot air is going to do
is lean back into the engine
and just heat it up.

I need to go buy a thermostat.

The under floor heating is down.

Now for the flooring.

Screed's a little bit
like Goldilocks.

Can't have it too wet.
Can't have it too dry.

Duncan's come to my rescue again
and pulled in a favour from a mate.

Over the back there somewhere.

That's it, cut it in half.

This is "Terry the Screed".

Sounds like just the bloke I need.

Save a little bit back, yeah?
Yeah, just go in the top.

Yeah.

Hit it, Terry.

Three tonnes of sharp sand
and 15 bags of cement

get mixed up with water

and then carted
into the living room.

All right. The next one then.

I don't miss this, I tell you.

The trick, I'm told,
is to level the screed as we go.

If it starts drying
before it's spread,

we'll be stuck with a total mess.

You're working off that edge.

- Yep.
- And you're working
off the back edge, yeah?

Like that. And then these bits here,
you just sort of like...

Oh, fill in the gaps.
Come on then, gimme a go.

Cool.

Oh god. It's really easy to hit
the edge of the thing, isn't it?

Yeah. This is backbreaker.

All right Ter, how's the boy doing?

He's doing all right.
Yeah, he's getting there.

With the screed in
and roughly levelled,

a final smooth with a trowel
gives a flawless finish.

I think I deserve an ice cream,
don't I, Ter?

I think you do. You've earned it.

Terry, when can we walk on this?

Probably tomorrow.
But I'll stay off it
for a couple of days at least.

Right, I've got
to escape through the window.

Job done.

Ice cream time.
Ice cream time, Duncan.

Ter, good job.

Good job man!
- Cheers!
- Yeah cheers.

How long you been screeding?

Fifty odd years.

Ever since you were two. Wow.

It'll take at least two weeks
for the screed to fully cure.

So it's back to the Fiat 500.

And I'm hoping that
a replacement thermostat

will put the overheating issue
to bed.

I've managed to get hold of this
for less than 15 quid.

This should be...
quickest fix ever.

Beautiful.

Duncan!

Now I just need to get the engine
back in my little Fiat 500.

It's like a toy.
[CHUCKLES] It is like a toy.

Okay, just squeeze her in there.

Ready?

That's it. That's it. She's in.

Now, I've had another dive
into the Fiat 500 parts bin
and got the part I need...

to fix our starter motor.

Normally a starter motor
has a cylinder on the side,

a solenoid, which is connected
to a 12V battery
and works electronically.

You turn the key,
current goes through

and spins this tiny little cog here,
and that turns the flywheel.

But on this,
it's this two-step process.

First process brings the cog out.

Second process creates the current,
and when you look inside here,

you can see how
that current's created.

Leans against there,
makes a connection...


to this pin here.

[MIMICKING ELECTRICITY NOISE]

That's the actual noise it makes...

in Italian.

Good news is,
this was less than 17 quid...

Comes off in two screws.

Now, to squeeze into that tiny
engine bay to get it back in.

Ah! Just get my hand in there.

And that's it. This car's
going to start on the button.

But I won't be driving this Fiat

until I find and fix the oil leak
at the front of the car.

Plus, I've got another problem.

Oh, man.

Oh, man.

[BLEEP]

Oh, man. It's classic.
Terry does this beautiful...

bowling green floor.

Clumsy old idiot here
leans in the window
because I want to see it,

knocks the lamp
that's intended for the porch.

Of course it lands slap bang
in the wet floor.

Idiot.

Luckily, I know
a man who can fix it.

Duncan!

Ah, dear.
Another mess I've gotta clear up...

This seems to be becoming
a bit of a pattern.

We finish something,

and then somebody comes along
and adds his...

adds his little touch to it.

There we go.

Had to sort that out.

I think I'll put a padlock
on the door,

that'll stop him getting in.

I'll take the hint
and get back to the Fiat.

With that mechanic's list
in my head,

we fixed the leaks on the rear.

But there are leaks
somewhere at the front.

And the way the engineering
of this car works,

it can actually only be
one of three things up front.

It could be the fuel system,
because the fuel tank's here,

the brake system or the steering,

and I know it's not the fuel
because I would smell it.

Now under here,

there's the brake master cylinder,
that links to the brake pedal.

Push the brake pedal,
it forces the fluid

out the master cylinder into
the four corners,

and it looks really dry.

This is the steering box,
which is less dry.

But that is exactly
where our leak is.

Unlike more conventional modern cars

that usually use
rack and pinion steering,

this car works off a steering box.
By turning the steering wheel,

it moves the lever
on the steering box,

and that in turn,
moves these two track rod arms.

But it's leaking.

To get to the bottom of that leak,

I need to get the steering box out.

All right. It's obvious that
there is a leak coming
from this section here.

There's the seal.
That's the rubber part

that's supposed to keep
the oil inside there,

and you can see there's oil
all over this place.

I think a combination
of that rubber seal,

this little gasket.

Yeah, that is not doing its job.
Look how wet it is.

Just like doing the old house up,

taking things apart
reveals previous owners' bodges.

Yeah, someone's put some
bathroom silicone on that.

Yeah, you can see the genius
of this steering box.

This is what's called
a worm drive.

This is the base
of the steering column.

This leads to the steering wheel.
When you turn the steering wheel,

it rotates that worm drive,

and that gear leans
against that second gear,

which puts that steering
input out to the wheels.

Now the good news is,

sounds super smooth,
there's no grinding.

The oil is really smooth as well.

This steering box is perfectly fine.
The issue is it's a leaking issue.

So I think just a gasket set
and a bit of a cleanup,

and this is gonna go
straight back on the car.

I'll tackle that tomorrow
once I've picked up the parts.

Morning, mate.
Get that down ya.

- What is it?
- Bacon butty. Stopped in
on the way in this morning.

Superb. Oh, my God.

Thought you needed feeding.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

This feels like...

we don't have time to stop
and eat a bacon roll.

Always got time.
I don't know.

I feel like between all the
volume of work on the house,
which is overwhelming,

the volume of work on the car...

Can't do it
on an empty stomach though.

True. An army
marches on its stomach.

I wish we had an army, though.
Two man army.

It's easier when the weather
is like this, though.

When I first set up
my first car company,

and I rented this shed, cow shed...

No heating, no toilet,
no running water,

and during the winter
I used to wear a balaclava.

I've been there. First job
when I was 16, when I was...

Chimney sweep!

[CHUCKLES]
After chimney sweep.

After that, was when I worked
at the garage.

First thing, going in
and getting all the heaters going.

Ready for everybody
when they come in.

You had to turn up early,
turn the heater on.
Yeah, get the heating on,

- I'll fill the kettle up.
- That's
- a proper apprentice job.
- Yeah.

Right. Time to get some tools out.

One more minute, mum.
No.

Come on, let's get to it.

You've had your bacon sarnie.
Yes, sir.

I picked up a rebuild kit,
which should get

the Fiat 500 steering box oil tight.

This was only 10 quid.

Seems like a small price
to pay to fix our leaky steering.

All right. That is one side.

I'm not sure whose t-shirt this is.

I've either stolen Michael's,
my Mum's or my Dad's.

Either way, I'm probably in trouble.
[CHUCKLES]

This was the primary cause
of the leak. This area here.

Now with the surfaces clean,

a bit of sealant
and a brand new gasket,

that is absolutely
going to be leak free now.

There's only one way to be sure.

Time to open it up
and refill the oil.

Oh, no.

No!

Yeah, it's seized.

This is quite common
when you've got a steel plug
against an aluminium housing.

Known as galling,
friction between the two metals

can cause them
to effectively fuse together.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna have
to take some...

aggressive action on this one.

My plan is to weld
a nut over the plug.

I want the lid on.

The heat will expand
the aluminium housing
quicker than the steel plug,

so I should be able to get a spanner
around the nut and prise it off.

Okay, it broke.

But it has given me a little bit
to have another go at it.

I need another nut.

This is a delicate operation.

Too much heat, and I could
crack or warp the housing.

Right, I'm not gonna get
a third go at this.

Ah!

He says

as he gets the third go at it.

Break the housing,
and that's a whole new steering box.

Yes!

Ah! Third time's the charm.

So now that that plug's out...

I'm just gonna fill it
with some gear oil.

Beautiful.

I'll need Duncan's help
to get the Fiat back together.

But in the meantime...

Here he is, Mr Neighbour.

My neighbour Andy the plumber,
promised me a trip down memory lane.

I've got some old pictures
I've found for you. [CHUCKLES]

- Of the farm?
- Of the farm.
Oh, man. Yes.

There's a tractor in the yard...
That would be your house now.

That's right. Yeah, yeah.
That's crazy.

And that's me great granddad,

I think that one in front
of the old barn, that was...

out the front
where your wall is now.

If there's one guy
I want to have a beer with...

Waistcoat, tie, hat,

hands on hips, proper like...
- Ready for work.
- Absolute farmer boy.

What was his name?
Joseph.

So this is Farmer Joseph Banks?

Yeah. He was the one I believe

that bought the house originally
in 1903.

Oh, my God, I can't believe...
The barn looks really straight,

the roof's not falling in,
like it is now.[LAUGHS]

This is crazy.
This is the panel room.

That's it. Yeah.
So it was a dining room.

It was a dining room.
Did you have Christmas dinner there?

Yeah, many a time.

I think these photos
should go up in the hall

as a nod to the house's heritage.

Right, if I grab the steering box,

I think you're gonna have to guide
- it onto the column spline.
- Yeah.

Right, if I get inside
and you feed that up... Yep.

Can you see it?
Yeah, I'm on it.

Getting the steering box
in as a proper fiddle.

We both need to be
lined up for it to work.

All right. Yeah, you're in.

- Is that in?
- Yep.
Woo-hoo!

Now, the important bit,
aligning it to the steering wheel.

At the moment, the box is
- on full lock.
- Okay.

And then turn the steering wheel
all the way one side.

Right, you ready?
Yep.

All right, go two rotations right.
One...

- Two.
- Perfect. That is the middle
of the steering box.

And the Fiat badge
is up the right way as well.

Fiat badge is the right way,
steering is the middle. Perfect.
Right, we can join this up.

I've splurged 63 quid
on new track rods,

so the steering on this little
beauty should now be solid.

Let's get the wheels on.

Right, that's going to feel
brand new. Go on, jump in.

Tell me how she feels.

It's like a proper little go-kart.
Do you wanna give it a little go?

- Have a little drive?
- Yeah,
just, wheel it out into the yard.

Yeah, go for it. Start her up.

Ignition on. Right.
One of these little levers.

Pull that lever.

[ENGINE STARTING]

BOTH: Yeah!
Come on then, let's go.

[BOTH LAUGH]

Go on then, give it a little wobble.

That's mega!
Lovely.

Shall we just go straight
on the channel tunnel?

- Drive it to Italy?
- Dude, I'm up
- for a little coffee in Rome.
- Hey?

Well tell you what, let's finish it
first. Stick it back in...

She's gone from dead on arrival
to purring like a charm.

But we're not across
the finish line just yet.

I've just noticed that
on the steering wheel.

Oh, the cracks?
Mmm.

I think we might have to, er...
We could call that patina.

Mate, that's not patina.
That's knackered.

We've been head down
in the oily stuff,

but we've dropped
the ball on the interior.

Duncan's right. We've made
all this effort with the steering,

but the steering wheel lets it down.

Big crack here. Big crack there,

then you consider
the potential buyer.

This is a critical part. It's the
tactile part of the c*ck,

and that is right in the eye line.

Finally, the Fiat 500
is alive and kicking,

but the cracked steering wheel
is letting things down.

Well, you can see
why I wanna leather it,

because see, there's these cracks.
CRAIG: Ah, yeah, yeah.

So I've called in my mate Craig,
who's pre-made a leather cover

based on the measurements
I sent him.

So it will hide the cracks,
and give a lifted quality
to the interior of the car.

Make it look quality,
- that's what we want.
- Yes.

- Okay, I'll go and set up.
- Cheers.
Right cheers, see ya!

I'm gonna hand sew it.

Just stitching as tight
as I possibly can.

So, the colour of the leather

is quite typical of the period
and the type of vehicle.

And as far as I'm aware,

that's the colour of the seats
as well. So it's a win-win.

Right, so that's that finally
finished. Last stitch in there.

I'm pleased with it. I just
hope Ant's pleased with it.

Yo, how you doing?
All right, mate.

Dude, that looks magnificent.

That's gonna add
a level of detail inside the car.

It just makes it look
quality now, doesn't it?
Rather than that black plastic.

I love it. I love it. I love it.
I think it is

the perfect crowning jewel
for the interior of our car.

I think this is gonna add
a bit of value to the car.

We'll probably find a different
type of buyer because of this.

- All right.
- I appreciate you.
- See you.
- Thank you.

Now it's about adding those final
touches before she's ready to sell.

You know, as nice as the
Italian number plates are,

we are likely to be
selling this car to a Brit.

So I had these ones made.

If you look Dad,
we changed the sunroof

from black to brown.
NIGEL: Oh that's nice.

And look, check this out.
A picnic basket?

You got any bubbles in there?
DUNCAN: Hopefully, some champagne.

Just the thing for weekend
escapes to the countryside.

Right. Shall we fit the horn?
Why, doesn't it work?

Well, no, it works. Try it.
It just isn't very...

[HORN BEEPS]
Oi oi oi!

There's nothing wrong with that.

I know, but we're going to change it
from average beep to Italian beep.

You'll see.

I'm fitting an air horn.

A popular aftermarket upgrade
in the 70s.

A car this small needs a big voice.

Right.

Go on, then.
Give that a little beep.

Is it wired up already?
Yeah.

[AIRHORN BLARES]
Oh, my God.[LAUGHS]

And now, for one more nod
to this car's heritage.

Italian flag?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.

A diagonal across the corner.
Yeah.

For just a few quid,
some pinstriped tape

will really give
the Fiat some flair.

I love that we're all holding
- our breath.
- Yes, important.

Really picks out against
the colour of the car, doesn't it?

And it's a nod to the Italian flag,

which is perfectly correct
for this car.

And just like that,

this little Fiat 500
had its lusso status restored.

I think this is gonna do
incredibly well at sale.

So what was the price of this one?

I have assembled the costs.

Okay.

Right. So we bought it
for six and a half,

and then I've broken it down
into some subcategories.

Mechanical stuff,
like the starter motor switch,
steering gasket, et cetera.

You know, lots of little things to
get this car mechanically working.

The bits that Nonna was afraid of...
Yeah.

...actually totalled £295.18.

Is that all?
Yep, sub 300 quid.

And I've got a second category.
I've called aesthetic,

which captures all the visuals.
Things like the sunroof,

the wicker basket, getting Craig to
paint the steering wheel, et cetera.

And that comes in
just over 300 at £310.

So when you total all of that up
with a £6,500 purchase price,

this car owes us £7,122.76.

That's not bad.
Ten grand car?

If this goes into five figures,
I'm gonna be over the moon.

But before we stick her in auction,
I need to give her a go.

[LAUGHS]
Oh, my gosh. It's a Fiat 500!

It's basically the closest you get
to driving a go-kart on the road.

[LAUGHS]

I challenge anyone to look
at this car and not be charmed.

Everything about it
just screams Italian brilliance.

The engineering is absolutely
genius. Think about it.

I'm nearly six foot three,
and actually I'm quite comfortable.

I've got plenty of legroom,
plenty of arm space,

the head doesn't touch the sunroof.

It's a remarkable use of space.

Yes, there's been oil leaks
and we've had issues,

but it feels and steers brilliantly.

We have to make a profit on this.

And hopefully we will.

Because auction day has arrived
and there's stiff competition.

Oh, my gosh,
there's three Fiat 500s.

It's almost like the Italian job.
Yeah, it is, actually.

That's a '69... '70...

Ours looks the best, though.
Yeah.

I mean, I may be being biassed.
It owes us £7,000.

You know, the market at the moment
for most classics is pretty bad,

but this...
this is gonna do okay.

I mean this, this is priced
at a fun car, isn't it?

This is a weekend. Take it out.
Have a bit of fun.

There's nothing we can do now.
We are committed. It's no reserve.

She's gonna make what she makes.
Hopefully...

it's gonna begin with a...
an eight... Or a nine.
Or maybe a nine.

AUCTIONEER: Lot number 651...

The charming 1970,

it's the Fiat 500 L here for you.

Here we go.

Cracking history with this car.

I can go straight in with you online
at £4,200. The opening bid...

Okay it owes us over £7,000.
Fourty five, £4,800, standing now.

Oh, the guy's behind us.

£4,800, go £5,000. £ 5,000 standing.
It's a good car, sir.

£5,000 standing, 55 sir?

Five thousand.
Hang on we've got bids.

Where is it? There's a guy here,

guy there, guy on the phone.
£6,000... Get your bids,
£6,000 a bid,

six thousand a bid. Go £6,500.

£6,500 standing...
We got four people on the phone.

We've got the guy in the room here
and there's someone down there.

Seven. Right, we just need one more
bid and we're into profit.

- Lady's bid seated.
- Go on push it up,
push it up, one more bid.

Take another 500,
anywhere? At £7,000.
One more bid and we're in profit.

Online you still wait then
at £7,000 only.

£7,500 came first online...
Yes!..Rich, I'm afraid, £7,500.

No we're up to eight... Yes!

Guess who's making a profit
on their Fiat 500?

- We are.
- We are.
Taken, £8,200 well done.

It's still going?
Yeah, this lady here.

£8,200, £8,400...

It's still going?
I thought the bidding was done.

Any more bids?
Now then, at £8,000...

Oh, we got someone else
in the room, look!

Thank you. £9,000 back here,
standing at £9,000. £9,200.

£9,200. That's with you online.

Oh my god...

£9,200 then.

£9,200. Just making absolutely sure.

One hundred twenty eight.

Oh, my god. We just made
two grand on a Fiat.

£9,200. What a result.

You know, we made £2,000 profit,
but we only bought it for £6,500.

You know, it owed us
a shade over £7,000.

So seven investment,
two grand profit.

That's a proper business model.
Think about where we are
for the house.

We just screeded the floor.

I can get that room done
and have some cash spare.

I'm chuffed.